On Drought, BNPB and Military Cooperate to Spread Artificial Rain

Metrotvnews.com, Jakarta: The National Agency of Disaster Mitigation (BNPB) is cooperating with the military to spread artificial rain. The government is anticipating the drought, which is expected to last until November.

"Starting from the past couple of months, anticipation has been conducted, especially for artificial rain we have cooperated with the military," said the Head of BNPB, Syamsul Maarif, at the Agricultural Ministry, South Jakarta, Monday (8/10/2015).

The cooperation with the military will take form of aircraft usage. BNPB is to use the Hercules, Casa 295, Casa 212 and an additional Casa which belongs to the Agricultural Ministry to spread the artificial rain. "The aircrafts have been prepared," Syamsul added.

Syamsul's statement was confirmed by the Military Chief Gatot Nurmantyo. He thinks that the military is prepared to provide an aircraft needed by the BNPB. "We are helping with the aircrafts according to request," Gatot stated.

The Head of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, Andi Eka Sakya conveyed the observation result that El Nino will continue to strengthen until its peak for the next couple of months.

"The 2015 drought season will be longer than last year as an affect of El Nino. The beginning of the rainy season in 2015/2016 will be postponed," he stated.

He explained that the condition was due to the moderate level of El Nino predicted to strengthen from August to December 2015.

El Nino is the natural phenomenon related to the rise of the sea surface temperature above average on the Pacific Ocean around the equator, which include Chile, Peru and Latin America.

The event brought a long drought effect on several Indonesian regions, especially on its eastern parts and southern latitude areas, such as South Sumatra, Lampung, Java, Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi and southern parts of Papua. (WIL)